Canada's 'cow town'

The rodeo, that quintessentially western carnival, is an annual event in many towns west of the Mississippi. But, if there were such a thing as a benchmark rodeo, it would have to be the Calgary Stampede.

Even the name conjures up images of a level of hoof-stomping frenzy that might intimidate meeker pretenders to the title. And, in Calgary, the rodeo is not some in today, out tomorrow road show, it's a fixture.

For a week and a half in early July each year, Calgary, in Canada's western province of Alberta, decks out and suits up for the Stampede, in the process becoming the ultimate cow town (if a city of about 850,000 can be characterized as a town).

Waves of bobbing cowboy/girl hats roll toward the huge fairgrounds, not far from the center of the city. Beneath the traditional headwear are men in bluejeans and decorative shirts of varying designs and women favoring black jeans and colorful blouses. All are shod in the appropriate boots, naturally.

There is electric adventure in the air as the crowd is drawn forward by the sound of down-home music, the smoky smells of savory food, and the sense that everyone is headed somewhere ultimately exciting.

The Stampede was founded in 1912 to celebrate "the virtues and magic of the Old West."

Much has been added since Tom Three Persons rode Cyclone to victory in the saddle bronc competition that year: permanent year-round fixtures such as a huge display hall, entertainment venues, a permanent grandstand, and many smaller facilities, situated throughout the 137-acre Stampede Park.

Attendance at this "Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth" has grown to well over a million annually.

Each year, a huge carnival springs up amid the permanent structures. Barns enclose blue-ribboned livestock – exotic breeds of cloven-hoofed, pelted, or feathered creatures. Vendors display everything from pocketknives to mobile homes.

Children stick their lips to swirls of cotton candy, and then slingshot themselves into the skies on rides not recommended for the faint of heart. Music is everywhere. as marching bands parade by.

Food sizzles tantalizingly on grills. The homey fare ranges from burgers and barbecue to pasta and enchiladas.

If you arrive looking like a city slicker and want to walk out looking like Clint Eastwood, there are western-wear shops at every turn, virtually demanding that you trade in that baseball cap for a 10-gallon Smithbilt, the Canadian equivalent of the American Stetson.

Appropriate to its cowboy reputation, Calgary has become the base for Canada's country-music establishment. Bands perform at venues throughout the grounds.

Of course, all of the activities – exciting as they may be – are simply accessories to the main event. Center stage is the rodeo competition, that display of he-man and she-woman bravado that can happen only with a human being atop a mount struggling to hang on for the required eight seconds.

The various ranch-inspired roping and riding events begin at midday and continue until the sun goes down, which at this time of year is around 10:30 p.m.

Men sit atop raging bulls, hoping to hang on just long enough to hear the eight-second horn and swing behind a rescue rider. Many get chucked skyward by the bull – three-quarters of a ton of pounding hoofs, bouncing hips, and flashing horns. Deposited face-down in the soft, damp earth, the thrown riders get to their feet, and then start running and hope it's in a direction away from the whirling, twirling bull.

The purse for each of the main events is $50,000 (Canadian; about $32,825 US.)

Women race around barrels in displays of horsemanship that require speed and agility. They also demonstrate trick riding, a dying skill: They stand up in the stirrups, then swing down along the side of the horse, finally dropping down virtually under the horse's belly and dragging their arms in the loose earth.

Youngsters ages 10-13 ride steers, hang on until the bell, then hop off, slap their big hats against their chaps, and raise their arms to the cheering crowd.

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